Ryan YO-51 Dragonfly
| YO-51 Dragonfly | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Role | Army observation and liaison |
| Manufacturer | Ryan Aeronautical |
| First flight | 1940 |
| Primary user | United States Army Air Corps |
| Number built | three |
The Ryan YO-51 Dragonfly was an observation aircraft designed and built by Ryan Aeronautical for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A single-engined parasol wing monoplane, it was designed for optimum STOL capability, but although three prototypes proved highly successful in testing, the Stinson YO-49 was judged superior and no production contract was placed.
Design
The design of the YO-51 Dragonfly was typical for aircraft of its type, being optimised for the observation and liaison role, with emphasis on the ability to operate out of the smallest possible airfields.[1] The Dragonfly was a high-wing braced parasol monoplane with fixed tailwheel landing gear, a two-seat open cockpit, and full-span slots and Fowler flaps for STOL capability.[2] It was powered by a single Pratt & Whitney R-985-21 Wasp Junior radial engine.[3]
At gross weight, the YO-51 could, without flaps, take off after a run of 400 feet, while with full flaps the takeoff run would be only 75 feet, or just four feet more than twice its own length.[4] The Dragonfly was capable of maintaining level flight at speeds as low as 30 miles per hour (48 km/h),[5] and was claimed as being capable of landing in a distance shorter than the length of the aircraft itself.[6]
Operational history
Nicknamed the "flying motorcycle",[7] three YO-51 aircraft were acquired by the United States Army Air Corps to take part in a fly-off evaluation against the Stinson YO-49 and Bellanca YO-50 to supply a new observation and liaison aircraft for use by the USAAC.[8] The YO-51 was the heaviest of the three aircraft evaluated.[9]
Although the Dragonfly was considered satisfactory during its flight testing,[10] conducted at Wright Field in Ohio,[11] the Stinson machine won the production contract, and no further YO-51s were built.[12]
Specifications
Data from Donald 1997[3]
General characteristics
- Crew: two (pilot and observe)
- Length: 35 ft 6 in (10.82 m)
- Wingspan: 52 ft (16 m)
- Height: 11 ft 1 in (3.38 m)
- Gross weight: 4,206 lb (1,908 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-985-21 Wasp Junior radial, 440 hp (330 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 129 mph (208 km/h; 112 kn)
- Cruise speed: 107 mph (93 kn; 172 km/h)
- Stall speed: 30 mph (26 kn; 48 km/h)
Armament
- None
See also
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
- Related lists
References
- Notes
- ↑ Penfield 1941, p.31.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Donald 1997, p.794.
- ↑ Fowler 1948, p.79.
- ↑ Rowe 2006, p.22.
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Pattillo 2001, p.137.
- ↑ Adcock 2005, p.5.
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- ↑ Merriam 2002, p.26.
- Bibliography
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External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to YO-51 Dragonfly. |
- O-51 Dragonfly at Dave's Warbirds
